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Any posted Notice of Disciplinary Charges, Conviction Transmittal or other initiating document,
contains only allegations of professional misconduct. The attorney is presumed to be
innocent of any misconduct warranting discipline until the charges have been proven.

California Bar Journal Discipline Summaries

Summaries from the California Bar Journal are based on discipline orders but are not the official records. Not all discipline actions have associated CBJ summaries. Copies of official attorney discipline records are available upon request.

October 9, 2011

JAMES DONALD SANDISON [#148812], 56, of Elk Grove was disbarred Oct. 9, 2011, and was ordered to comply with rule 9.20 of the California Rules of Court.

Sandison stipulated to disbarment, admitting he misappropriated more than $68,000 from Comcast and another $56,388 from a client, and by allowing a resigned lawyer to use his name and client trust account while holding himself out as as attorney.

According to the stipulation, “Misappropriation of client funds is a grievous breach of an attorney’s ethical responsibilities and generally warrants disbarment.”

In the Comcast matter, Sandison and another lawyer formed a joint venture to represent AT&T regarding theft of cable services by individuals and entities. AT&T’s cable services were reallocated to Comcast several years later and Comcast agreed to continue the contract with Sandison’s firm, which was to receive 40 percent of the funds collected. Comcast was to receive 60 percent.

Sandison received $297,099.91 in Comcast funds but didn’t notify the company, which terminated its contract with him. His partner also terminated his relationship with Sandison, who nonetheless continued to collect, deposit and distribute Comcast funds.

He opened trust and business accounts without his partner’s knowledge, misused those accounts, and did not maintain a proper balance. Although he paid out some funds to Comcast, he misappropriated $68,332.07. He did repay $33,000 of that amount. He also misappropriated $56,388.82 in legal fees to which his partner was entitled.

In another matter, Sandison allowed an attorney who resigned with charges to use his name and his client trust account in an insurance matter. He deposited a $30,000 check the resigned attorney had received into his client trust account but he never had any contact with the client.

In mitigation, Sandison cooperated with the bar’s investigation, had no discipline record in more than 20 years of practice and is bankrupt.